Fabric repair machine



Sept. 25, 1945.

s. HI EBER 2,385,703

FABRIC REPAIR MACHINE I Filed Aug.- 19, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l H .v lk

S p s. L. HI EBE R 2,385,703

' FABRIC REPAIR MACHINE 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I %///////Z;////z S. L. HIEB ER FABRIC REPAIR MACHINE Sept. 25, 1945.

Filed Aug. 19, 1943 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 onz'afifiie Z1971,

Patented Sept. 25, 1945 2,385,703; FABRIC REPAIR MACHINE SoniaL. Hiebcr, Atlanta, Ga. Application August '19, 1943, Serial No. 499,269 7 Claims. (o1. 139 1) This invention relates to a machine adapted to perform the initial steps in. reweaving fabric and is designed to speed up the reweaving processes embodied in applications; Serial Number 440,068, now Patent No. 2,343,183,. for Method of reweaving fabric, :and Serial Number 440,069, now Patent No. 2,343,184, for Method of sideweaving fabric]? 'both of which'applications were filed on April 22, .1942, and in whichl am acoin- Ventor.

In the reweaving of fabric, particularly: that process known as side reweaving wherein a small "piece of fabric'is rewoven into the main. fabric,

the small piece of fabric: being superposed over a hole or'other damaged or-worn portion'of' the main fabric, some difliculty'has: been experienced in properly aligning the weftcand warp threads of the two fabrics,-and also inreweaving: the superposed fabric in a manner such thatitwill be smooth on the main'fabric. ,Itis, therefore, an object of this invention, to provide a reweaving machine which will. hold thetwofabrics in proper position and will then perform-the first :steps necessary to-reweave the two fabrics together.

Anotherobject of'this invention =is-to provide a machine of this kind which is simple in construction' and ispreferably manually operable.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind which includes aremoV- able needle carrier so that the; machine can easily and quickly-be adapted to differentlweaves.

A further object of this invention is :toprovide a machine of this-kindwhichhas the needles manually positioned below. the table, the needles being of the latch or hooketypaso thattheoperator may lay the two fabrics on top-of the table, the latter being entirely smoothand unobstructed except for a series of guide .pins which project up through the table and are adapted to project through the two fabrics in order to properly align the weft or warp threads. 3

With the foregoing objects in view,. and others which may hereinafter more fully appear,- the invention consists of thle novel construction,

combination and arrangement, of parts, as will be more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail top plan of a reweaving machine constructed according to an-embodiment of'this invention; I

Figure '2 is .alfragmentary longitudinal section of the machine;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on-theiine 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the linelll of Figure 1;

Figure ,5 is a fragmentary perspective-- view of a the needle carrier;

1 Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective vie-wot the guide pin carrier; i 1 Figure 7- is a perspective'view of the guide 'plate mounted in the: table;

. Figure 8 is a fragmentary-sectional view showing onestep intheuse of this. machine; {and Figure 9v is a fragmentary sectional view showing another step in theuse of this machine.

Referring to the drawings the numeral Hidesignatesa table which is mounted on supporting legs ll; connected together by lower-rails l3. The-table I 0 is formed with a transversely disposed opening l2, and aplate l4 issecured, by

fastening members I5, in the recess l6 within which the plate I4 is mounted. Y The. plate [:4 is

.provided with a pair of parallelelongate'd'slots .l1 and I8. A'guide or fabric holding member, generally designated as I9, is secured to the lower .side of the table 10, and comprises an elongated bar 20 which is secured by removable fastening members 21 to an elongated block 22 secured by fastening members 23 to the lower side of the table I0.

The bar 20 constitutes a pin carrier andhas secured theretoa plurality of upstandingpointed pins 24 which areadapted to project upwardly through the pin slot l8. .The pins HIV are adapted to project upwardly through a fabrlcF which is mounted on the upper side of-the table "land thepins 24 are adapted to engage on'one side of a weft or. warp thread so as to firmly -hold the fabric and toproperlyalign the desired weft or warp threads with respect to the needle slot IT.

A needle carrier 251s movablydisposed below thetable [0,. and comprises anelongated needle bar- 26 which has secured thereto -,a, plurality of upstanding latch needlesZ'l. Thesneedles 21,, as shown in Figure .5, are disposed :in staggered relation so that certain of the needles will be disposed on one side of a weft orfiller ,threadand the other or remaining needles, will be disposed on the other side of the same thread. The needle carrier 25 is adapted to be vertically ,reciprocated by means of a crank structur 28. The crank structure 28 includes a pair of disks 29 and 30 having an offset shaft 3| secured therebetween. The disk 30 has a shaft 32 which is journalled wise of the table I0.

is then placed on top of the main fabric F, and

through a bearing 33 extending below one of the horizontal rails l3, and a collar 34 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 32. a shaft 35 secured thereto which is journalled through a bearing 36 carried by another rail I3, and a crank member 31 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 35. The ofiset shaft 3i has mounted thereon the lower ends of a pair of pitmans or links 38. The upper ends of the pitmans or links 38 are secured by means of a pin or bolt 39 to the lower end of a pair of slide rods 40. The rods 40 are slidable through a pair of guides The disk 29 has 4| which are dependingly fixed to the lower:-

side of the table In, and the upper ends of the slide rods 40 ar provided with reduced threaded portions 42, on which the opposite end portions fabric. F together with the fabric P at a point inwardly from the adjacent edge of the fabric P, after the manner shown in Figure 8 whereupon a number of warp threads are pulled out of the fabric P between the slots l1 and 18. The needle carrier is then raised and subsequently lowered, as hereinbefore described, so as to pull the of the needle bar 26 are adapted to be detach- V ably secured by means of nuts 43'.

By means of a construction of this kind the needle carrier 25 may be constructed for a particular fabric having a o particular weave, and each fabric of a different weave will have a special needle carrier for mounting on the upper ends of the slide rods 40.

The needles 2l are adapted to move upwardly through the needle slot I1, and to extend through the fabric F in addition to a small piece of fabric P which is mounted on the upper side of the fabric F and which is also engageable with the guide pins 24. The fabric F is adapted to be clamped onto the table It) by means of a pair of; clamping members 44 and 45 which are of like construction. The clamping member 44 is constructed in the form of an elongated pressure bar'46 which has secured to the opposite ends thereof, right angular arms 41. The arms 41 are pivotally mounted on pivot members 48, which engage through depending supporting brackets or bearings '49 secured to the under side of the table Iii.

The bar 46 is adapted to clamp the adjacent portion of the fabric F to a corner of one end of the table l0. e r

It will,'of course, be understood that any other suitable clamping means may be provided for firmly holding the fabric F smoothly on the upper 4 side of the table H).

In the use and operation of the machine, the fabric F is placed on the upper side of the table It), the needle carrier 25 at this time being in a lowermost position. The pins 24 are projected throughthe fabric F engaging against a selected weft or filler thread, it being understood that the warp of the fabric F extends at this time length- The small fabric piece P the warp threads of the fabric P are disposed in alignment with the warp threads of the fabric F, As shown in Figure 8, certain ones of the filler threads 50 are removed from the fabric P inwardly from one' edge thereof, the removed threads covering an area equal substantially to the space between the two slots l1 and l8. s

The left edge of the fabric P, as viewed in Figure 2 may be firmly held against movement by one hand of the operator or by suitable clamping means, and then the crank 31 is rotated to raise the needle carrier 25. The needle carrier 25, in its raised position, will appear as shown in Figure 8, and upon further rotation of the crank ,3! the needle carrier-V25 will be lowered, the needles 2! grasping the warp threads 5| of the superposed fabric P and pulling such threads downwardly, as shown in Figure 9. The threads 5| will be pulled downwardly through the fabric F and weft threads of one edge of the fabric P, downwardly through the fabric F, as shown in Figure 9.

The fabric F and the patch P are subsequently shifted so that all four edges of the fabric P will have the threads thereof pulled downwardly through the fabric F. After the threads on all four edges of the fabric? are pulled through the fabric F these loose threads are then rewoven into the main fabric F after'the manner set forth more specifically in the co-pending applications of Sonia L. Hieber, William S.'Hieber, and'Irwin C. Elmer, Serial Number 440,068, and "Serial Number 440,069,filed on April 22, 1942.

The machine hereinbefore described has been designed to perform the initial steps in side weaving a superposed fabric onto another fabric so as to repair a hole or damaged portion of the main fabric. This machine, being of simple construction, and provided with interchangeable needle carriers, can be readily adapted for any particular fabric and for any particular weave of fabric.

It is particularly important in reweaving or side weaving a fabric that the warp threads of the superposed fabric align with the warp threads of the main fabricand that the weft or filler threads of the superposed fabric also align with the weft or filler threads of the main fabric. This machine, with the guide pins 24, will greatly facilitate the alignment of the threads of the main and superposed fabrics so that the subsequent weaving of the threads of the two fabrics may be performed without having the correlated threads moved out of alignment.

I claim: v

1. A device of the kind described comprising a table having a pair of slots therethrough, a plurality of pins fixed relative to said table and projecti'ng upwardly through one of said slots, a needle carrier below said table, a plurality of needles carried by said carrier and adapted to be moved upwardly through the other of said slots, and means for reciprocating said carrier.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a table having an elongated slot, a'needle carrier below said table, a plurality of upstanding needles on said carrier and engageable in said slot, and

by upon downward movement of the latter said needles will pull threads of a superposedfabric through a main fabric mounted on said table, and a plurality of positioning pins carried by said table and adapted to project upwardly 5 through said fabrics.

4. A device of the kind described comprising a table having a transverse slot, a needle carrier below said table, means supporting said carrier for Vertical sliding movement, a plurality of 10 needles carried by said carrier and engageable through said slot when said carrier is in an uppermost position, a pin carrier, a plurality of upstanding pins carried by said pin carrier disposed parallel with said needles and projecting above 15 said table, means supporting said pin carrier and means for raising and lowering said needle carrier.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a table having a transverse slot therein, means 20 clamping a fabric on the top of said table, a vertically movable needle carrier below said table, crank means connected with said carrier for vertically moving the latter, said carrier comprising an elongated bar, and a plurality of needles carried by said bar, said needles adapted to project through said fabric, and being engageable in said slot.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a table having a transverse slot therein, means clamping a fabric on the top of said table, a vertically movabl carrier below said table, operating means for said carrier, and a plurality of upstanding pins carried by said table, said pins adapted to project through said fabric to thereby position selected threads of said fabric with respect to said slot.

7. A machine for repairing holes in fabric, including means for supporting a main fabric and a small piece of fabric, said fabrics having weft and warp threads, said machine including a movable needle carrier, a plurality of needles carried thereby and a series of guide pins projecting through the two fabrics to properly align the weft and warp threads of said fabrics respectively.

SONIA L. HIEBER. 

